


Frame of Mind

by enbyinaband



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Anger, Bullying, Characters Playing Among Us (Video Game), Coffee, Cute Ending, Cutesy, Domestic Boyfriends, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Heart-to-Heart, Internal Conflict, M/M, Protectiveness, Role Reversal, Sleepy Cuddles, Video Format: Streaming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:42:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29127408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbyinaband/pseuds/enbyinaband
Relationships: David P. Brown/Corpse Husband
Kudos: 14





	Frame of Mind

Threats of eccentric fans knowing where he lived had grown old and no longer bothersome especially now that he was across the pond and living with his boyfriend. Of course, though, Corpse could not escape the amount of people demanding to know what he looked like from the neck up.

"It's my fault," Dave had mentioned one evening as they were getting reafy for bed,."If I hadn't made you show your hand in that fucking collab last year..."

"Babe, no, that was my decision. I thought they'd calm down with that white tee pic, but guess it got worse?" He shrugged half-heartedly, looking up sheepishly as the Brit walked over and pulled both hands into his. 

"They can't harm you."

"If they try, I'm sure you'll be the first to defend me."

"You know it!" 

They bumped foreheads and shared in a soft giggle that only grew into an infamous shriek from the older man when his cat tried to steal the spotlight by batting at long hair still drying from an overdue shower. Unable to.help himself, Dave scooped her into his thin arms and nuzzled into her lovingly for a long moment as the cuteness shared between them started to transfer to her wriggling, drooling form.

"Gross!" Corpse let out, a chuckle growing in volume as the salivating pet was pressed into his chest, "Davey, stop!"

"This is what you signed up for!"

"When? I'm dating you, not Quistis!"

"She's still a part of the family, don't be mean!"

"You called her stupid like an hour ago."

"She kinda is," David relented, dipping down to press a kiss against her right ear, "Isn't that right, you big, dumb baby?"

"Stop terrorizing your cat, or I'm calling PETA on you first thing tomorrow."

"Can't believe my own boyfriend is turning on me…" 

"Never," Corpse remarked, unable to upset the other even for a joke, "You know I couldn't."

"Right…"

"C'mon, pouty, it's past our bedtime." 

Rolting bright blue eyes fondly knowing that was his way of asking for cuddles, Dave climbed into his claimed spot in bed before Quistis could get it first. Tossing the half wet strands over his shoulder, the Brit curled closely once a cheek was laid on the other's broad chest comfortably as thick fingers already found their way into the almost black follicles and started to comb out forming tangles.

"You take such good care of me…"

"And you do to me." 

"Please, you've been putting up with my depressed bullshit this past week."

"I don't 'put up with you', I love you is all."

"I love you too, Core."

"I hope no one's listening in on our lovesick crap, I've got a reputation to uphold!"

"Sure do…" Dave mused, sneaking in a quick kiss against his neck before going quiet.

Waking next to his favorite person was enough to make Corpse forget about the fraction of fans demanding him, rudely, to reveal his face. Almost. He sighed softly, nostrils immediately tickled by stray hairs that managed to make its way near his face despite his partner laying under him; of course, with 84 centimeters of hair, it was bound to.get everywhere even with the slightest, unconscious movements. Then again, Quistis could have been playing with it from her perch on the unoccupied pillow…

"Meoooow!" she let out demandingly when she noticed one of the men was awake.

"Hang on, kitty."

"Meowww!" 

"You're gonna wake your dad…"

She continued on, not caring if she did if that meant breakfast was served sooner. Scoffing at her indignation to listen, as if any cat would, Corpse carefully started to wriggle out from underneath the lightweight form when he remembered that there was supposed to be a stream soon, cursing to himself at the forgetfulness.

Since moving to London he hadn't minded getting up earlier than usual to make up for the time difference, but right about now all he really wanted was to avoid the internet for a day and stay in bed next to his partner.

"It's too last minute to reschedule…" he muttered aloud once out of the warm mattress, stretching tense muscles and snatching a pair of glasses from said boyfriend's face as he bent down to kiss his upturned cheek, "I dunno how you manage that every night, they're gonna break again…" 

A loud snore came from Dave as if in retort to the scolding he was too far away to hear, snuggling into the now empty spot instead of waking abruptly. Wanting to stay and watch over the older one like he was prone to doing every time he awoke first, Corpse was quickly reminded of his responsibilities as the tiny, splotchy body rubbed against his calf firmly as a purr started to pulse through the air.

"You're kinda cute, y'know," he relented as she followed closely, the two walking downstairs together, "Don't Tell Dave I said that, I'll deny it." 

Quistis chirruped at the empty threat, drool starting to dribble down her chin as the tab to a wet food can was pulled back. Quickly, she began to lap at the tuna flavored food even before Corpse moved from her bowl, her tail swishing gratefully as a thick hand glided over her back.

"I'm gonna go into the recording room now, dad should be awake later." 

With a final pet, he disappeared into the one place in the house she wasn't allowed, usually, and started to get set up after sending a message to the group chat that he was almost ready. Waiting for the rest of his friend group to enter, he sent out a tweet containing the link to the livestream and watched as a flood of people started to leave their comments.

"Hey everybody." he greeted casually, letting out a long yawn to accentuate the question most people were already asking, "Yeah, it's like, 4 a.m. now? I'm waiting for Dave to wake up 'fore I make coffee."

'That's quite the domestic life you've got goin', yeah. He's been good to me since I moved out here." he continued, pausing in engaging with chat while he started working on the first task.

For a while, he went back and forth between fulfilling assignments and trying to determine who the imposter was and bantered with Sykkuno for the most part. Normal stuff, even with the viewers who still joked about them being together when Corpse had been vocal about being in a different relationship. For a while, he had caught glimpses of a newcomer making weird comments that he tried his best to ignore even when he had been murdered by Valkyrae and was able to look at the influx of comments again

'It'd be a shame if someone were to catch you and Dave out together.' He easily shrugged that one off, thinking it an idle threat concerning where he now lived.

'You can't keep a mask on 24/7, you'd have to eat or somethin'.' 

'It'd just be easier to show your face instead of hiding for the rest of your life.' 

Corpse tried to ignore that jab at his integrity, focusing on the next round after his team's victory. Of course, that was short-lived when he met the same fate from Toast, yet he kept away from the chat. Looking at his phone to check if David had gotten up yet and taking a moment to give an update about his pet and asking him to make coffee should he be, the younger one glanced back.at the monitor to see a paragraph of text from the same username as earlier.

'You're gaining a following and baiting everyone by not revealing your face. Are you afraid that you'll lose them? What a pussy move, that's all you really care about. Makes sense tho since your boyfriend's irrelevant now.'

"Are you fuckin kidding me?!" 

"Corpse?"

"Look, say whatever taunts you want, but leave Dave out of it! You have no idea what he's going through," the man in question let out angrily amidst the comments trying to support or distract him, turning attention to the people he was streaming with a final time, "I'm sorry guys, I can't…"

"It's okay, bud. We'll-"

He disconnected before Sykkuno could finish, feeling a twinge of guilt for a few seconds when the frustration swallowed it up to feed the fire. Pushing away from the desk, he ripped the door open to be met with a disheveled significant other waiting on the other side with a pale yellow mug between his hands, the only sight that could possibly sober him.

"You get killed too many times??" the older one attempted to lighten the mood before realizing something was seriously wrong, "Shit, I'm sorry, love. I'm guessing someone went too far?"

"You could say that. You wanna help me with something?"

"Depends on what you want."

"Upload pics of me. I can't take this anymore, Davey…"

"Core…" he mused, setting aside the doctored beverage with cream and sugar aside, his slender body being an asset as he slid by and grabbed an unprotected cell phone before the other could act on impulse, "I'm not letting you do that unless you want to. And not so you can prove some anonymous online twat wrong." 

"Please… They dragged you into this, I can't let it slide!" 

"I heard, thought it was one of your friends being a jerk. Either way, it's okay."

"How?!"

"'Cos you don't owe them answers, not to anyone," David answered calmly as he led.the younger one to the teal colored couch with a gentle hand, "Hell, not even me."

"Nah, I owe you for keeping my head together when I can't by myself…"

"Still, my point is: their opinions of us, of you? Fuck 'em."

"You sound like you have experience…"

"A few years of it, at least."

He tried to maintain the scowl that had settled on his face, but that damned Brit who sat next to him with their knees knocking together had some kind of spell on him, snorting at the wink Dave gave for extra effect. Playfully shoving him away, Corpse quickly pulled him into his lap and bringing him closer to give a crushing hug that loosened as he sank into David's comforting embrace. It was hard to hold onto hot iron anger especially when he had been so focused on defending the older man's honor, as if he was incapable of doing it himself, "Thank you, hon." 

"It's no problem," Dave remarked as if he hadn't just redirected the other from acting with reckless abandon out of some sort of self-proclaimed act of chivalry, "What is it you're always telling me?"

" Right here we will play. Until somehow you can find a slightly different frame of mind."

"Right here in my arms, safe from all harm." the Brit finished, wrestling for control until the younger one let him take over.

He would have to be naive to set all of this aside, a happy little family he had helped build by leaving his old life behind, for a string of taunts that would never he said aloud to his hidden face. Exhausted, he melted into the thinner chest much like he had wished to long before he had tried to join his friends online and let out a few soft grunts as his tensed, aching back was rubbed into a relaxed position. While it had been months since he had been cared for, it was not as difficult to let go of that role, even if only temporarily, as he rested his chin atop a slender shoulder as he looked through the red and brown curtain of hair to see that sunlight was coming through, realizing that now it meant they could spend the whole day doing dumb, but cute couples activities that were meaningful to only the two.

"Always know that you'll be safe."

"With you, how could I not?"


End file.
